Palace of Shaki Khans
Seki, Azerbaijan
May 17, 2009
Seki, Azerbaijan
May 17, 2009
Crossing the border from Georgia, my first stop in Azerbaijan was the town of Şəki in the forested foothills of the Greater Caucasus in the North. I stayed in an 18th century caravansarai where a quirky Azeri waiter served me formal çay (tea) out of a samovar served with dishes of local sweets. Later I wandered up to the Palace of Sheki Khans and took the mandatory guided tour.
The lavishly decorated two story structure was built as a Summer Palace in 1762. The exterior façade is adorned in pretty geometric tile work and the inside is a riot of bright stained glass and painted walls. The tour was understandably rushed as the guide tried to keep us ahead of the army of schoolchildren just one room behind. The one hurriedly delivered factoid I do remember is that the Palace is supposedly constructed without the use of a single nail.
